The present invention can relate to apparatus and methods for improving the construction of ejectable component assemblies in electronic devices.
The proliferation of electronic devices (e.g., portable MP3 players) and the various ways in which such devices are being transported have created a need for improved construction of ejectable component assemblies for such devices.
Some known ejectable component assemblies for personal electronic devices include a tray for receiving a removable module, and a connector coupled to a circuit board within the housing of the device for receiving the tray as it is inserted through an opening in the housing and for retaining the tray such that the module is functionally aligned with the circuit board. Variations in the manufacture of such electronic devices result in, for example, variations in the distance between the circuit board and the opening in the housing through which the tray of an ejectable component assembly is to be inserted. These manufacturing variations generally create an undesirable abruptness in the profile created by the tray and the external surface of the housing about its opening once the tray has been inserted therein.
Moreover, some known ejectable component assemblies for personal electronic devices also include an ejector coupled to the circuit board of the device for ejecting the tray from the connector and, thus, the housing of the device. The manufacturing variations of the device also tend to create variations in the distance between a user external to the device and the ejector. Therefore, the interaction between the user and the ejector for ejecting a tray from the device may not function similarly in all devices due to these manufacturing variations.